Optimum Lightpath names Sea Tow Services International the 2012 Customer Innovator of the Year for unique use of Ethernet-based services to drive communication efforts that help boaters in distress around the world
JERICHO, NY, JUNE 28, 2012 – Optimum Lightpath®, a market leader in Ethernet-based communication solutions for New York metropolitan area businesses, today announced Sea Tow Services International, Inc. as the winner of its 2012 Customer Innovator of the Year Award. Sea Tow will join nine other finalists being recognized at an annual ceremony held in New York City at The Four Seasons today.
“Optimum Lightpath prides itself on being innovative in how it works with customers to understand their needs and collaborate to develop the products and services that help them advance,” said Dave Pistacchio, president, Optimum Lightpath. “Our annual Customer Innovator Awards give us an opportunity to showcase how our customers are using our products and solutions to transform industries, stand out in their fields and pursue new opportunities. We congratulate all of our customers that submitted fascinating stories, our nine finalists and this year’s winner, Sea Tow.”
Based in Southold, New York, Sea Tow Services International has provided on-water assistance to boaters since 1983. Since that time, Sea Tow has grown to include almost 100 locations across the United States and the Caribbean, as well as locations in Europe and Australia. The franchise-based marine assistance organization now helps over 200,000 Sea Tow members and other boaters each year.
“We’ve always been an innovative company, constantly reinventing our processes, tools and how we work in order to provide the best and most effective services to stranded boaters,” said Captain Joseph Frohnhoefer, CEO of Sea Tow. “One key area of innovation for us has been communication, which is so very vital in our line of work. We operate a complex telecommunications system that is our primary link to people out on the water that need our help. Sea Tow trusts the support of this system to Optimum Lightpath, which gives us the flexibility, performance and reliability we need to serve our customers and continue along our path of innovation.”
Sea Tow relies on a combination of support mechanisms to help it take calls from and respond to boaters that need assistance, including direction finders, VHF radio and a national call center utilizing VoIP technology based at the company’s headquarters in Southold. To further extend how and where it can reach customers, the company developed a RoIP (VHF Radio over IP) system that works nationwide, as well as Android and iPhone apps. These tools give Sea Tow Captains and crew unprecedented mobility and the ability to stay better connected to boaters to locate them more quickly.
“With Optimum Lightpath, we’ve had no breakdowns, no problems and no outages,” said Frohnhoefer. “As a result, we can rely fully on our cutting edge telecommunications technology. By working with Optimum Lightpath, we have the capabilities we need to further expand our business and implement the tools of the future, today.”
Optimum Lightpath presented Sea Tow with a $10,000 award check at the Customer Innovator Awards ceremony today. $1,000 checks were presented to each of the nine finalists, including Morris Catholic High School, Syosset Fire District, Westchester Community College, Technology Marketing Corporation, iSpeech, Inc., Tekmark Global Solutions, Family Service League, Medical Arts Radiology, and Wall Township Public Schools. The Optimum Lightpath Customer Innovator Awards program is held annually and recognizes innovative use of Optimum Lightpath products and solutions. This year, Optimum Lightpath customers submitted applications detailing how Optimum Lightpath has helped transform the way they work. Optimum Lightpath selected finalists and a winning company based on review of these applications.
For more information about Optimum Lightpath, visit www.optimumlightpath.com.
About Optimum Lightpath
Optimum Lightpath, a division of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE:CVC, news, filings), is an industry leader in providing advanced Ethernet-based data, Internet, voice, video transport solutions and managed services to businesses across the New York metropolitan area. Optimum Lightpath’s Network is a highly reliable, resilient, and scalable fiber-to-the-business-premises network extending more than 4,700 route miles connecting more than 5,000 fiber-lit locations. Exclusively focused on meeting customer needs in the world’s largest business market for 20 years, Optimum Lightpath has been continually recognized for its high level of customer service. For 14 straight years, the New York State Public Service Commission has given Optimum Lightpath its Commendation of Excellence. Optimum Lightpath has received many industry awards for innovation and leadership, most recently being named the 2011 North American Regional Service Provider of the Year by MEF. For more information, visit www.optimumlightpath.com.
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